ICE deports ex-Liberian fighter accused of torture, recruiting child soldiers

EXCLUSIVE - A former Liberian combatant believed to have ordered and participated in killings, torture and the recruitment of child soldiers was deported after spending nearly two decades in the United States.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed Amos Sheik Massaquoi, 55, to Liberia on Aug. 11, officials told Fox News Digital. He is believed to have served as chief bodyguard to Maj. Gen. Daniel Chea, a former leader in Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia.

"If you are a confirmed human rights violator and you believe you can hide in the United States, you are mistaken," ICE Chicago Field Office Director Frank Padula said.

"ICE will pursue, arrest and remove any individuals who committed atrocities abroad and ensure our communities are not used as a sanctuary from accountability."

Massaquoi legally entered the U.S. in August 2006 but was only authorized to remain until Nov. 6 of that year, according to ICE.

Massaquoi was taken back into custody by ICE Baltimore on April 1, 2025, after officials said he failed to comply with the terms of his release. An immigration judge ordered him removed the following month.

ICE said Massaquoi also received specialized military training at an academy in China in 2004, one year after Liberia's second civil war ended.

"Amos Sheik Massaquoi is believed to have engaged in cruelty and terror, marked by killings, torture, forced labor, unlawful imprisonment and the recruitment of children into armed conflict," HSI Maryland Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin said.

"If it is confirmed that an individual has engaged in such bloodshed anywhere in the world, then you have no place in the United States," he added.

Anyone with information about a suspected human rights violator in the U.S. can contact the ICE tip line at 866-DHS-2-ICE or submit a tip online.